It runs in the family

Rex Smith, the editor of the Times Union, also is familiar with religion, since the clergy in his family include his paternal grandfather, maternal grandfather, father and brother. Cousins and uncles also became clergy. So when he talks about religion, he is not without some standing.

On Christmas, his column in the Sunday Times Union dealt with religion and politics, topics close to the hearts of those who read this blog.

Mr. Smith discusses his father’s view about the role that people of faith should play in the world, and he goes on to quote an influential African-American theologian, Howard Thurman, a student of Gandhi and a mentor of Martin Luther King Jr., who wrote:

"When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone, when the kings and princes are home, when the shepherds are back with their flock, then the true work of Christmas begins:

"To find the lost, to heal the broken, to feed the hungry, to release the prisoner, to rebuild the nations, to bring peace among others, to make music in the heart."

We recommend the entire column, which is available here.